This 11 day safari will take to you to three of Namibia’s must see natural wonders.We will visit the Namib Desert and Sossusvlei which is home to some of the highest sand dunes in the world. Then we move on to Swakopmund where the desert and the coast come together. We will then make our way up along the Skeleton Coast and turn inland into the dramatic and scenic Damaraland. Last but not least we will move on to Etosha which is one of Africa’s best game viewing destinations.

Day 1
Namib Desert Lodge, Gondwana Collection Namibia, Namib

Day Itinerary

After breakfast and meeting your guide for the safari you will depart for Sossusvlei. We will drive through the Khomas Hochland and down the escarpment via one of the scenic mountain passes into the Namib Desert. This journey will take about 4 hours depending on the number of stops for photographs. Dinner and accommodation will be at one of the best lodges in the area perfectly situated to explore the surrounding desert and its attractions.

The Namib is the oldest desert and boasts the highest sand dunes in the world. This region is one of the most spectacular areas of Namibia and always one of the highlights of any safari. The name Sossusvlei refers to the vlei or pan into which the seasonal Tsauchab River flows in years of exceptional rainfall. The neighbouring Dead Vlei with the ancient dead Camel Thorn trees is one of the most photographic sites in good early morning light. The Sesriem canyon is a narrow gorge about 1 km long and is well worth a visit. Several desert adapted wildlife like oryx, springbok, black-backed jackal, ostrich, sociable weavers and plenty of reptiles and small mammals call this place home.

The Namib is the world’s oldest desert, and although it stretches along the entire length of Namibia’s coastline, the Namib commonly refers to the vast sea of sand from Luderitz to Swakopmund. For a big sandy desert, the scenery is remarkably varied, with the giant red dunes of Sossusvlei being the most famous part.

Because of how old it is the Namib is home to numerous species that don’t occur elsewhere and although no humans live in the desert an amazing array of flora and fauna manages to survive here. Famous species include the Welwitschia – a living fossil plant, endemic chameleons, fur seals along the coast, brown hyenas, jackals and remarkably one of Africa’s largest antelope the Gemsbok. The name Namib is of Nama origin and means "vast place" and vast it certainly is.

Included

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast

Day 2
Namib Desert Lodge, Gondwana Collection Namibia, Namib

Day Itinerary

After an early breakfast and coffee, we will depart for a morning excursion to Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei. We will stop at the scenic Dune 45 along the way and spend a couple of hours at both Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei. Some of the dunes in the area are a few hundred meters high but the view from the top for those that dare is one you will never forget. After lunch and a well-earned siesta we will join the lodge for a sundowner Nature Drive before returning to the lodge in time for Dinner.

Activities

Dune 45
Sossusvlei - The Vlei
Desert Lodge Nature Drives

Dune 45

Named for its location 45 kilometres past the town of Sesriem, Dune 45 is renowned for its elegant shape, which – along with its position close to the road – have earned it the distinction of ‘most photographed dune in the world’. If you’re not keen for the strenuous hike to the top of Big Daddy, Dune 45 is a more forgiving alternative, standing at only 80 metres and featuring a much gentler gradient.

Sossusvlei - The Vlei

This is the vlei itself where, for now, the waters of the Tsauchab River disappear into the red sands of the Namib.

Included

Sossusvlei Excursion in our own vehicle

Nature Drive with Namib Desert Lodge

Day 3
Swakopmund Sands Hotel, Swakopmund

Day Itinerary

After a relaxing breakfast we will depart for Swakopmund via the Namib Naukluft National Park. We will spend the next 2 nights at a guesthouse and have dinner at some of the top restaurants in Swakopmund. Please note that dinner tonight is not included and for your own account.

Swakopmund is a very popular holiday destination for many Namibians and will probably be the only place that you will visit on the Namibian safari that has a real town feel to it. Wedged between the Namib Desert and the cold Atlantic Ocean, Swakopmund which is known for its very relaxed atmosphere, has something for everybody. There are plenty of great restaurants and bars, good shopping opportunities and fascinating architecture. For the adventurous there’s quad biking, sand-boarding, skydiving, beach angling and scenic flights over the coastline and Sossusvlei to name a few. The nearby Walvis Bay, Namibia’s major harbour town is well known for the lagoon and its prolific bird life.

Founded in 1892 as the main harbour for German South West Africa, Swakopmund is often described as being more German than Germany. Now a seaside resort, Swakopmund is the capital of the Skeleton Coast tourism area and has plenty to keep visitors happy. The quirky mix of German and Namibian influences, colonial-era buildings and the cool sea breeze make it very popular.

Included

Bed & Breakfast

Day 4
Swakopmund Sands Hotel, Swakopmund

Day Itinerary

After breakfast we will depart for a living desert adventure where we will encounter and learn more about the fascinating wildlife of the Namib Desert. We will look for gecko's, scorpions, side-winder snakes, lizards and beetles as well as the incredible plant life that survives in this harsh environment.

Once we are back in Swakopmund we enjoy lunch and then have the afternoon available to explore the town or perhaps finish the day with a quad-biking and dune-boarding adventure. Other optional activities that could be arranged include scenic flights over the coast and dunes.

Activities

Living Desert Tours

Living Desert Tours

The Living Desert Tour is a unique 4x4 adventure which specializes in bringing the desert to life while sharing the awesome beauty of the Namib Desert with travellers from all over the world. The coastal dune belt may seem barren and lifeless to many people, but in fact it is alive with a fascinating variety of little desert adapted animals, which are able to survive on the life-giving fog which consistently rolls in from the cold Atlantic Ocean.

Come see the Dancing White Lady Spider (Carparachne aureoflava) cartwheel 44 turns per second down a dune to escape the enemy. Admire the transparent Namib Dune Gecko (Pachydactylus rangei) with webbed feet that are equivalent to snow shoes. Learn about the different beetles and insects and how they survive in the dune desert. Follow in the tracks of a legless Lizard (Fitsimmon’s Burrowing Skink), observe Sand Diving Lizards (Meroles Anchieta) dancing on the hot sand, Sidewinder Snakes (Perinquey’s Adder), Desert Chameleons and many more fascinating creatures. Learn about the geology, structure and formation of the desert, and admire the vast and beautiful landscapes while enjoying a scenic dune drive combined with fun and adrenalin.

Included

Living Desert Tour

Day 5
Twyfelfontein Country Lodge, Twyfelfontein

Day Itinerary

Today we will embark on a Pelican Point Kayak adventure and join the seals and dolphins for a paddle at the tip of the remote Pelican Point peninsula. Afterword’s we continue our safari northwards along the Skeleton Coast. After visiting a shipwreck will turn inland towards Damaraland. We will drive past the Brandberg, Namibia’s highest mountain with the highest peak at 2573 meters. We will be at our lodge in time for a sun-downer drink while we enjoy the view over this beautiful landscape.

Activities

Pelican Point Kayak Tour

Pelican Point Kayak Tour

Pelican Point stretches out into the sea, creating a sheltered bay that is ideal for kayaking, and taking a gentle paddle out to the seal colonies is a wonderful way to while away a few hours.

Included

Pelican Point Kayak Tour

Day 6
Twyfelfontein Country Lodge, Twyfelfontein

Day Itinerary

After breakfast we will visit the Twyfelfontein rock engravings (Namibia’s only world heritage site), burnt mountain and organ pipes rock formation and the Petrified Forest or we can embark on an morning drive looking for the desert adapted elephants.

Activities

Twyfelfontein Rock Art
Petrified Forest

Twyfelfontein Rock Art

Twyfelfontein is a World Heritage Site boasting one of the richest rock art concentrations in Africa. Thousands of tourists come to this site each year to view some 2, 500 Stone Age rock engravings. The area is home to 17 rock art sites, which collectively encompass 212 engraved stone slabs. There are an additional 13 sites displaying rock paintings.

Petrified Forest

Situated approximately 50 kilometers west of the town of Khorixas, in an area of open veld, lies a large deposit of massive tree trunks that have "turned to stone" through a process of diagenesis. These petrified tree trunks are up to 34metres long, 6 metres in circumference and are approximately 260 million years old. Due to the lack of root or branch remains, it’s believed that the trees were washed down an ancient river to the site in a massive flood.

Included

Day Itinerary

Today our journey continues to Etosha National Park where will spend the next 4 nights. Etosha is one of Africa’s biggest and best National Parks and one of the main tourist attractions in Namibia. It is 22 912 km 2 in size of which the Etosha Pan, a shallow depression that only holds water after good rainy seasons, is 5000 km 2 in size. Etosha is known for its spectacular game viewing and the waterholes attract huge numbers of game in the dry season when all the open water has dried up. During the rainy season the park is transformed into a green oasis and this is the time you find young of various animal species in huge numbers. 114 Species of mammal are found in the park and it is the best place in the world to see Black Rhino. Other game include elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, giraffe, honey-badger, black-faced impala, kudu, eland, damara dik-dik, warthog and big herds of springbok, zebra, blue wildebeest, red hartebeest and oryx. More than 300 species of birds are found here and it is brilliant for finding raptors. One of the highlights of the park is the flood-lit waterholes at the 3 main camps where game viewing continues long after the sun has set.

The Etosha National Park is Namibia's premiere game viewing experience, situated in the northwest of Namibia and is an area well known for its wildlife. Vegetation ranges from dense bush to open plains attracting a diversity of wildlife. In the heart of the Park is The Etosha Pan - a shallow depression that covers an area of 5000sq kilometres. Dry and shimmering for most of the year, the pans fill up with water after good rains to a depth which is seldom deeper than 1m. In the dry season wildlife is attracted to perennial springs and waterholes that makes for excellent game viewing.
Within the park are three large public rest camps catering for the more budget orientated traveller. There are several smaller establishments on the outskirts of the park on private land offering a more intimate and comprehensive experience. All of these establishments offer excellent value for money.

Day Itinerary

We will do morning and afternoon games drives and relax at the pool or camp waterhole between drives.

Activities

Etosha West

Etosha West

The area and vegetation is very different to the south-eastern and eastern part of the park and the Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra can be found here.
In this area and with a more undulating landscape, it makes for a very different wildlife experience. White dust and clay which makes up the Etosha Pan turns to a reddish brown soil during this time which may lead you to believe you have entered an entirely new park when you visit.

Included

Game drives in our own vehicle

Day 9
Mushara Lodge, Etosha National Park

Day Itinerary

From here we will make our way across the park in a full morning game drive to Mushara Lodge on the eastern boundary where we will spend the next 2 nights. I love this lodge and park of the park with excellent game viewing and am sure you will enjoy this as well.

Activities

Etosha Pan

Aeons ago, Etosha Pan was the bed of a vast lake; today what remains is a glittering, silvery-green salt pan that stretches across roughly 5000 square kilometres. Etosha is protected by the Etosha Pan National Park surrounded by savannah plains and woodlands supporting large herds of elephants. When dry, the pan sustains little life except for the algae that gives it its distinctive colour, and migratory birds that use it as a pit stop, but with heavy rain it becomes a shallow lake where flamingos breed, pelicans wade and feed, and a variety of mammal species come to quench their thirst, including leopards, lions, white rhinos, hunting dogs and antelopes.

Included

Game drives in our own vehicle

Day 10
Mushara Lodge, Etosha National Park

Day Itinerary

We will do morning and afternoon games drives and relax at the pool or camp waterhole between drives.

Activities

Etosha East

Etosha East

In the vast arid space of Northern Namibia lies one of Southern Africa’s best loved wildlife
sanctuaries. The Etosha National Park offers excellent game viewing in one of Africa’s most
accessible venues. Zebra and springbok are scattered across the endless horizon, while the many
waterholes attract endangered black rhinoceros, lion, elephant and large numbers of antelope.
Etosha, meaning ‘place of dry water’, is encloses a huge, flat calcrete depression (or pan) of about
5 000km². The ‘Pan’ provides a great, parched, silver-white backdrop of shimmering mirages to an
area of semi-arid savannah grassland and thorn scrub. The pan itself contains water only after very
good rains and sometimes for only a few days each year, but is enough to stimulate the growth of a
blue-green algae which lures thousands of flamingos.

Included

Game Drives in our own vehicle

Day 11
Departure

Day Itinerary

After an early morning breakfast, we will depart for Windhoek where you will catch your connecting flight.

Listed below are hotels/lodges/resorts that the safari tour operator can accomodate for you.